The just eating together date
by Ohgress
Summary: A trailer, a plane, a diner and four time zones. Part 3 of The Riggsmer series.


Riggs' phone rang early and he picked up sleepily because he figured it was just Roger calling to say they had a dead guy, but it wasn't. It was Agent Palmer. He sat up.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" She said.

"Nuh, s'alright, I was just getting up anyway. You know, work." Riggs cleared his throat and shook his head, trying to get his bearings straight. Why was she calling? Please, be work, Riggs's brain pleaded.

"Okay, yeah so… I'm flying to LA again this afternoon and I was thinking if maybe you would like to grab a bite or something when my flight lands?"

Riggs' brain was processing the previous information. It took some time. This wasn't a work-related call. Warning signals started to flash red before his eyes. "Uhm…" was all that got out of his dry mouth.

"It's okay if you don't want to. It's just… It's nice not to eat alone you know and I had a nice time last time, so I was just thinking…" Karen rambled on the other side of line. She sounded slightly embarrassed. "But never mind, Riggs, I'll see you when I see you."

"No, wait!" Riggs' brain finally woke up. "I'm just… I haven't gotten any coffee in me yet so hehe…. Eat something, okay, I could do that. When? Where?"

"Oh, okay. I probably won't be much company though, it'll be late my time."

"Nuh, s'alright." Why was he repeating himself? Silence on the other end. "Palmer?"

"Yeah, right. Um well, my flight lands 6.15 pm and I'm staying at a hotel quite near LAX so you know any place?"

Riggs scratched his head. He wasn't all that familiar with LA yet but a diner he'd been driving by a couple of times popped up in his mind. He gave the directions to Palmer and they ended the call with some awkward see you then and okay bye before hanging up.

Riggs sat on his couch, staring into nothing, thinking what the fuck had he gotten himself into? Again! Was this a date? This wasn't a date, was it? It was just eating together with a colleague. Yeah, that's right. A really nice and pretty colleague though. Dammit! With a twitch to let go of the tension he scrambled around for his jeans, got up and put on some coffee.

On the Atlantic coast, Karen Palmer hung up her phone, thinking it was going to be a long day and a looong flight.

* * *

"Riggs!"

"Sorry, what?"

"Did you hear a thing of what I just said?"

"BOLO out for white male suspect with black mohawk, got it!" Riggs winked at Murtaugh where they were sitting at their desks.

"What is up with you today?" His older partner asked.

"Me? Nothing." Roger gave him "the look", the one where he knew Riggs was full of bs.

"Come on, Riggs. Tell me. I haven't seen you this distraught since last week when… Ooh!" There was a shit-eating grin on Murtaugh's face.

"No, no! It's not what you think!" Riggs pointed his finger at Roger.

"What is it then?"

"It's just eating together." Fuck! He wasn't supposed to tell Roger that. Now he wouldn't hear the end of it.

"She's coming back here already?"

Ugh! Why did he say anything? Riggs fell back into his chair with a loud sigh. "Well, yes Roger, if you have to know, she's arriving tonight and we are going to enjoy a meal together. Now, can we get back to the case, please?" Riggs said and annoyingly flipped his hands.

"Okay, whatever you say, partner". There was still a shit-eating grin on Murtaugh's face.

* * *

3 pm PST and Martin Riggs realized he didn't have anything clean to wear tonight. Fuck.

Somewhere over the Midwest Karen Palmer tried really hard to nap or work but neither happened.

4:30 pm PST and Martin Riggs was buying a shirt. Like, actually buying a shirt. Fuck.

High above the Rocky Mountains Karen Palmer had finally nodded off, her neck was gonna be a bitch.

6 pm PST and Martin Riggs was staring at his only bottle of fine scotch left in trailer, thinking he could really need a little to take the edge off, but no, no, not that dark hole again. Fuck.

Karen Palmer woke up because her ears were blocked and 10 minutes later she touched down at LAX and her neck was a bitch.

Both Martin Riggs and Karen Palmer thought 'Great' in that sarcastic way of theirs.

* * *

7 pm and Martin Riggs parked his truck outside the diner. He realized they hadn't really discussed exactly when Palmer would show up, but he figured she would show up soon. Should he wait in the car or should he go inside and pick a table? No, pick a table was better because then he could be on the lookout for her. So, he chose a table by the window and shortly thereafter he saw her get out of her rental. That was when he realized he had no idea how to greet her.

Karen spotted Riggs as soon as she entered the diner. It wasn't hard, not with that hair and sunglasses, and a mustache that belonged in the 80's. His knee was jumping nervously but when they caught eyes, his face lit up just a tiny bit and it was enough for Karen. He gave her a head nod and she walked over to him. That was when the awkward started. He got up from the table for her and she thought he was going for a hug so she smiled at him and opened her arms but then it just became some kind of weird cheek hug that wasn't neither a real hug nor a kiss on the check and with all the nervous body language going on, Karen decided it was best to just sit the fuck down and order food. She was too tired for this game.

Well, that was a disaster, Riggs thought as he sat down and put his sunglasses away, the sunset being almost over.

"Hey Riggs!" Palmer said to him with that smirk of hers he couldn't decide was annoying or cute.

"Hi yourself! What brings you into town again?"

"It's classified."

Riggs started to laugh. "You never give up, do you?"

"What, you know I can't talk about work. It's against regulations."

"Yeah, sure. And I'm also sure we're gonna see each other soon at the precinct and then you just gonna have to tell me anyway because you'll need our help and it'll be hunky-dory as usual." Riggs grinned at her.

"Whatever, but at least for now, can we skip talking about work? I'm too tired." And she was tired, Riggs could see.

"No problem. So, what floats your boat other than Chinese?"

They studied the menu for a while and Riggs went for the enchiladas and Palmer surprised him with a burger and fries.

"What are you drinking, Riggs? Beer?" Karen asked him. Riggs suddenly looked uncomfortable and told the waiter he'd rather have a mineral water. Right…

"Oh sorry." Karen gave him an apologizing look. "I'll go with mineral water too," she told their waiter.

"Sorry, Riggs, I should have known better."

Riggs shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"It's just that everyone goes about it differently, but I should have known you were an all or nothing guy." She smirked at him again.

Could she stop with the flirting? Riggs thought. But he couldn't deny it wasn't nice when she was doing it because he could see knew what she was talking about.

"You've been there?" He asked gently.

Karen nodded solemnly. "I have. And I couldn't just quit, it took me a long while to go from a glass of wine before bed every day to a glass on just the weekend."

Riggs looked at her and her light-brown eyes were smiling but he could also see traces of a very familiar pain. He nodded and looked down again, fidgeted with the napkin.

"Like I said before, I'm not comparing my situation with yours, just that, feelings don't lie. It's the same kind of pain," Karen continued.

"Did you get help?" He looked up at her again.

"Eventually yes. I wasn't jumping out of helicopters just for the fun of it…" Karen glared at Riggs. He snorted. "So it wasn't that obvious I had a problem. You know, the whole "Good girl" concept we're so good at. My body just broke down one day and I couldn't get myself to work. And I love my job."

Riggs didn't know what to say. There was a reason he joined the army and not became a shrink. He just tried to convey to Palmer that he was listening without judging and it was a really good feeling, to be on the receiving end.

"Anyway, I'm much better now. Time really does heal."

"Yeah so everybody keeps saying, but I don't know…" Riggs shrugged.

"Is it okay… Can I ask, how long ago it is since you lost your wife?" Karen prodded. She didn't want to be pushy but she needed to know.

"A year, roughly." Riggs said with a gravelly voice.

"That's not a long time, Riggs. That's about the time it took for me to reach that break-down."

"So you're saying I'm gonna break soon?" He gave her a look.

"No, that's not what I'm saying, it might not be the same for you. But if it happens, just now it's a normal reaction. It's just bio-chemistry."

"Hm."

"Don't worry, Riggs. I can't see you stop disobeying orders anytime soon." Karen joked to lighten up the mood that had gone serious and pensive opposite her. Riggs smiled at her but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He kept twirling his wedding band.

"What happened to you? I mean, why did you divorce?"

Karen sighed. "We met at college and we were best friends for 7 years and then we just weren't. He met someone new. Now he's married again with two children and he always told me he didn't want children which was fine by me at the time because I wanted to work, but I guessed he changed his mind. And I wasn't prepared for it."

"I'm sorry."

"Eh, it's the past now. I have been sorry, but I'm not sorry anymore. Besides, I would never have experienced jumping out of a helicopter if it hadn't happened. That's something." Karen winked at Riggs. It was the truth. If she hadn't divorced, she would probably still be working east coast cases to be able to come home in a fairly reasonable time to cook dinner and she would definitely never have met Martin Riggs. That was just unacceptable. For her, right now, it really was.

Riggs squirmed a bit. Karen could see that tiny blush she had seen that last time at the office. It made her feel good.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Don't be. It was fun. Getting kidnapped by the cartel wasn't though."

"Hey, you need to watch your six whenever you're over here, Palmer." Riggs was at once dead serious.

"It's a good thing you're here then."

They smiled at each other, hazel eyes peering at brown ones. It was a good thing, whatever this was.

The waiter abrupted their curious looks at each other with their food and Riggs dug in like he'd never seen food before, as usual. Palmer just shook her head at him. Of course, he noticed.

"What? You got a problem with my manners?"

Karen laughed at him. "No, you just go ahead. I'm getting use to your caveman style."

"Caveman? Well, that's a first."

"First what?"

"Well, I mean, it's usually crazy maniac, derailed cowboy cop, just plain asshole, or sand hobo. That last one is Roger's favorite. I like that one. It's creative." Riggs babbled while continuing to shuffling food in his mouth. Karen giggled.

"You should hear about my reputation…"

"What? You have a reputation? That's impossible." Riggs said with a mock expression.

"The ice queen, Queen B, The frump… You name it."

"Aaaw! But you're so lovely with all your pant suits and rule books." Riggs smiled and joking rolled his finger at her while holding the fork.

"Shut up, Riggs!" Karen laughed and blushed.

They were having a good time again. It couldn't be denied. Riggs beamed at her, happy that his joke hadn't been taken the wrong way. He could get used to this. He didn't exactly know what this was, but it was nice. Karen didn't judge him, she was funny and a helluva good agent. Even if this wasn't a real date, he wouldn't be opposed to spending more time with her. She made him feel better, feel good about himself and it was a long time since he'd felt that. And he thought, Karen seemed to really like him, and that wasn't a bad feeling either. It was a confidence boost.

They continued their meal, talking and joking about this and that, but they never talked about the elephant in the room, what had happened in the elevator last time. Karen wanted to talk about it, but she sensed it wasn't a good idea. They were having too much fun to ruined it with "talking". Her friends had advised her to go slow and this was slow, and Riggs seemed to like it. He was more relaxed now than she'd ever seen him. It was a good look for him. She had missed it.

Eventually, the clocked ticked close to midnight eastern standard time and Karen was feeling the long day. She tried to hid her yawns but soon they were too violent to hide.

"I'm sorry. I told you I was going to tired and boring."

Riggs didn't think she was boring at all. In fact, Karen was very cute when she was sleepy, Riggs had to admit.

"We should probably get you to bed, Palmer", he just commented.

Karen was this close to say something flirty about beds, but she managed to yawn it down, so she just nodded to him, and Riggs waved the waiter over for the check.

Getting up from the table was another issue.

"Fuck, I hate vinyl seats," Riggs complained while walking out, trying to unstuck his now sweaty jeans from his bottom.

"Yeah, me too." Karen had the same problem, but wasn't groping herself as much. Riggs amused her to no end though.

"Let's go somewhere vinyl free next time," Riggs said as he was holding the diner entry door for her. She froze slightly once outside, but decided not to mention it. She didn't have to.

"I mean, next time you're hungry and need company," Riggs filled in and cursed inwardly at himself while walking her to her car.

Karen turned around to him once at her car and looked him straight in the eye.

"I'd love that," she said with a warm smile at him. Riggs stomach were doing flips and he had to scratch his head, a nervous habit he knew he wasn't getting rid of.

"Right." Riggs was a fidgeting mess, trying to put his curls to rest but they refused to stay back. He really needed a haircut.

Karen took charge once again because she couldn't stand anymore of this awkward tension. Who were they fooling here? They were grown-ups for God's sake. So she put her hand at his chest to steady him and gave him a quick peck, before pulling back and looking at him.

"I had a really nice time tonight, Dectective." It came out a lot sultrier than she had aimed for and she could see Riggs' eye darken. To avoid making things more complicated she began to turn to her car but before she reached the door handle, Riggs grabbed her wrist and cradled her face with his other hand and kissed her again, a deeper, longer kiss that sent tingling sensations through both participants and left them breathless. After breaking contact, they didn't move for a few beats, just collected themselves, breath mingling in the chilly night air, forehead to forehead. Suddenly a big smile broke out on Riggs face and Karen thought it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. She had done that and she couldn't stop smiling with him. She pushed away gently from him. It wasn't what she wanted and if she hadn't been so tired she probably would have tried to climb him like a tree, so maybe it was good thing she was tired, because slow was the word of the day.

"I… I need to go, Martin." He nodded at her, looking flustered but not unhappy. "But if you ever want to talk or just hang or whatever, call me okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Drive safe."

"I will. Bye!"

"Bye, Karen," he said with a wave.

And with that she got in her car and drove off. In her rear-view mirror, she could see Riggs standing with his hands in his pocket looking at her car leaving. The smile was still there.

Later that night, Martin Riggs had a dream that involved a woman and for the first time it wasn't his wife. It was a lean blond. He woke up when things started to get serious in the dream, in cold sweat and with a raging hard-on. It was pleasant for about 3 seconds, then he bolted out the door and threw up just outside the trailer. He decided to blame the whole ordeal on bad enchiladas.


End file.
